


Iwa Enchanted

by MartyMcFly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ella Enchanted Fusion, Fairies, Fantasy AU, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-11-27 23:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18200717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MartyMcFly/pseuds/MartyMcFly
Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime always knew he was special, but not in a good way. Cursed with the gift of obedience, Hajime has no choice but to follow everyone's orders. But, when his father remarries to a woman and his gift is discovered by her prince-obsessed son, he must go on a quest to find the fairy who gave him the gift, and get rid of his obedience forever.Oikawa Tooru is the Prince of the kingdom of Aoba Josei, who's coronation is in a week, but he's not sure if he even wants to be king. When he runs into Hajime by chance, his world is turned upside down.Based on the movie "Ella Enchanted".





	1. A Fairy's Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! So, this is a story I started a few months ago, but just picked up again! There's going to be about three chapters~
> 
> Thank you for reading!!

Fairy tales tell, as their labels imply,   
stories of magic, of creatures that fly. 

With giants and dragons and ogres and elves,   
and inanimate objects that speak for themselves. 

There's romance and danger and plotting of schemes.   
There's good guys and bad guys and some guys in between. 

A fairy tale also reveals some sort of truth,   
the perils of choices we face in our youth. 

But our story today is different in theme,   
for our hero had no choice, or so it would seem. 

It starts with a fairy bestowing a spell one day.   
This one's for a baby named Iwaizumi Hajime.

 

The sound of a baby crying echoed through the Iwaizumi household, and a beautiful young mother named Sachiko Iwaizumi rushed to her child's side, scooping him up out of his crib and into her arms. "There, there, Hajime. Mommy's got you," She said, gently rocking her baby. 

"Nothing a little burping can't solve," A tall fairy with light pink hair and droopy eyes said, grinning down at the baby, before snapping his fingers at the burp cloth across the room. He sighed when it only jumped slightly at the magic. "Come on," He groaned, snapping his fingers harder. This time, the burp cloth flew directly into his face. He pulled the crusty cloth off of his face and handed it to the mother. "I don't know why I still try."

Sachiko laughed and burped her baby gently, "Oh, Makki, you're still a huge help, magic or not." The baby's wailing slowly turned into soft mewls, before fading into silence, the baby snuggling into his mother's chest. The fairy cooed at the sight, holding his hands over his chest. 

"Well, now, dear Hajime. Are you falling asleep again?" Sachiko said, kissing her son's forehead gently.

"If only he would sleep through the night too," Hanamaki sighed, poking the baby's cheek with his index finger.

She was just about to put her son to bed, when a loud whooshing noise could be heard from above the house. "What the-?" Hanamaki muttered, then a look of horror crossed his face as he realized what it was.

"Hellooooooooo~" A loud voice came from above the house, and the mother and Hanamaki shot each other a terrified look, before both exclaiming, "Noya!!"

"Ohhh, he always gives the strangest gifts!!" Hanamaki groaned.

"Quick!! Hide Hajime!" The mother exclaimed, quickly, but gently handing her baby over to the fairy. Hanamaki had just barely managed to get Hajime safely tucked into the baby carrier hanging on the closet door, when Nishinoya crashed through the roof, a plethora of sparkles surrounding him as he accidentally smashed the crib, the distraction giving Hanamaki just enough time to gently close the closet door.

He scrambled off of the now broken crib, brushing off his clothes and giving the two of them a bright, but mischievous grin. Nishinoya Yuu was a short fairy, much shorter than the average fairy, might I add. Sometimes he was even mistaken for an elf. "Hi! Guess who came to visit!! Me!!" He exclaimed, looking around, "Where's the little guy?"

"Right in front of us," Hanamaki said, pointing at Noya.

"Ha. Ha. Hilarious. But really, where is he?"

"On a walk," Hanamaki said, just as Sachiko said, "At his grandmother's". They looked at each other, then "At his grandmother's" Hanamaki said at the same time as she said "On a walk".

"He's... On a walk at his grandmother's," Hanamaki laughed weakly.

"Well, as you can see, he's clearly not here. Maybe come back another time?" Sachiko suggested, hoping the fairy would just leave with no fuss. However, Hanamaki accidentally stepped forward, just enough for the closet door, which he had been holding in place with his hip, to swing open, revealing the baby.

"Oh, look. He's back," Hanamaki said in a monotone voice, wincing at the death glare he got from Sachiko.

Noya grabbed the baby out of the carrier and grinned down at the baby, which caused Hajime to start crying at the unfamiliar stranger holding him. "Hey. Be quiet, won't you?" He said, "I can't think over this racket." But Hajime's crying just got louder. "Not a very obedient stinker, is he?"

Hanamaki and Sachiko stood nearby, tensing up at every one of Noya's movements, in fear that he would drop the baby, or somehow manage to do something worse to him. 

"What's his name?"

"Hajime..." Sachiko answered hesitantly.

"Iwaizumi Hajime, I give you the gift of obedience!" Noya snapped his fingers, then said, "Now be quiet!" Hajime stopped crying instantly, and looked up at at Noya with big brown eyes. "Go to sleep." Hajime fell asleep. "Wake up!" Hajime's eyes opened again.

Okay, that was definitely worse than dropping him.

"Wow! Isn't that great?" Noya exclaimed, grinning at the mother and other fairy.

"No!!" Hanamaki shouted, "It's horrible!!"

Noya raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me? If you don't like it, then I can always turn him into a squirrel or frog." He lifted his fingers above Hajime's head again.

"No, wait!!" Sachiko said quickly, "Obedience is a lovely gift!"

Noya smiled widely at that, "Yeah! I've just given you the perfect child. You're welcome!"

Hanamaki and Sachiko gave each other nervous looks, as Noya handed the mother her baby back.

"Welp. See you guys around!" And with that, Noya had disappeared.

 

ln spite of the spell, Hajime grew up strong of mind.   
His gift made him obedient, but his heart made him kind. 

 

"Ew, Akaashi touched me!" A little boy shrieked, shoving the smaller boy onto the ground. 

Another boy scoffed, "Akaashi? What kind of stupid name is that?"

"Go back where you came from. Nobody wants you here."

"I do." The two boys turned to see seven year old Hajime standing behind them, arms crossed. 

The bullies looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "Oh yeah? Bite me, loser," One of them said.

Hajime felt a zing, then before he knew it, his mouth was on the other boy's arm, clamped down tightly. The boy screamed and pulled his arm away, blood dripping down his arm, then ran in the opposite direction, his friend following behind him.

"Did you see what Iwaizumi just did??" Another kid shouted, but Hajime ignored them, instead helping Akaashi up off the ground. "Iwaizumi Hajime."

"A-Akaashi Keiji."

Hajime grinned, "Nice to meet you! Wanna play volleyball with me?" 

 

Soon, Hajime's tenth birthday rolled around, and it was the first year that he actually got to have a big party at his house. He invited all his friends (well, more like school acquaintances. Akaashi was really his only friend), and Hajime was having a blast.

His mother gathered all the children around the dining room table, sitting Hajime at the head of the table, then set a large cake in front of her son, ten candles shining brightly from atop the cake. 

They all sang Happy Birthday to him, then he blew out the candles. They all clapped, and Sachiko smiled and said, "I made your favorite, so dig in and stuff your face. I'll go grab forks."

Hajime felt a zing, and his hands moved on their own, digging into the cake and shoving it into his mouth. Sachiko turned around, eyes widened, "Hajime! Sweetie, stop!" He stopped and looked over at his mother, a dazed look on his face.

Sachiko and Hanamaki shared a look, and both decided that it was time to tell him.

 

"l always knew something was wrong with me," Hajime said quietly, sitting on his bed, across from his mother and Hanamaki, after they had told him about his gift. The young boy looked over at Hanamaki, "Can't you change the spell? You're a fairy, aren't you, Makki?"

Hanamaki sighed and ruffled his hair, "I'm only a household fairy, honey. Besides, according to fairy guidelines, only the fairy who gave you the gift can take it back, and we've begged him. Not only that, but he said he'd turn your mother into a squirrel and take away my eternal youth if we ever asked him again."

"lt's not fair," Hajime muttered, "Fairy guidelines are stupid."

Sachiko moved closer to her son and wrapped her arms around him", l know, darling. l know."

 

So Hajime now knew why he'd always obeyed.   
But he never stopped fighting to have things his way. 

 

"Hajime!! Come practice your mandolin!!" Sachiko yelled from downstairs.

Hajime felt a zing and he stood up, dropping his colored pencils. He rolled his eyes and walked towards his door as slowly as he could. "Fine, but I'll take my own sweet time doing it!" He yelled back.

"Hurry up!" Sachiko replied, and Hajime felt his body move before his mind could catch up with it. When he came to, the instrument was in his hands.

 

As he struggled to find a way out of his gift,   
he had no way of knowing something worse was adrift. 

 

Sachiko had fallen ill. It started with small coughs here and there, but the coughs quickly became more intense, and soon enough, blood started appearing on the handkerchiefs she coughed into. She did her best to hide it from her family, but they all found out when she suddenly collapsed in the kitchen one day.

The doctor was called immediately, and she was diagnosed with a very rare, incurable blood disease. There was no way she could tell her son that, though, so she always put on a bright, smiling face whenever her son would come into her room. She would always tell him she was feeling better, but she could feel herself slowly deteriorating every passing day. 

She kept up the facade until she was no longer strong enough to even lift her head.

"Please get well, Mother," Hajime cried from his mother's bedside.

Sachiko ran her trembling fingers through her son's soft, raven hair, "Listen to me, Hajime, only Makki and l know about the gift. We've never even told your father. And you must never tell anyone else." She flew into a coughing fit, and Hanamaki quickly rushed to her side with a glass of water, but she shook her head, focusing back on Hajime, "I don't want anyone using it against you." 

Sachiko's husband, Iwaizumi Atari rushed into the room, dripping wet from the rain outside. He had been on a business trip in the kingdom of Karasuno, but had hurried home as soon as he got word of his wife's condition. "Sachiko!" He exclaimed, rushing to her side, and she smiled weakly at him.

"Take good care of Hajime for me," She whispered, "I don't know how much longer I have left."

"Darling-" He was cut off by the look she gave him. Even in her weakened state, she could give quite a deadly glare. 

She turned back to Hajime, "Remember, no matter what anyone says or tells you to do, look to yourself, Hajime. What's inside you is stronger than any spell." She unclasped the necklace from around her neck; a simple leather band, with a beautiful silver ring hanging on it. "This belonged to my mother. She gave this to me when she passed away, and now it's your turn to have it. Wear this, then I'll always be with you." 

Hajime took the necklace from his mother and looked at it carefully. There were tiny light blue diamonds lining the outside, and upon further examination, he saw a carving inside that read, "Forever". He looked up, but found that his mother's eyes had drifted closed. "Oh, did she fall asleep?" He asked, looking up at Makki.

Makki nodded, a few tears escaping from his eyes, "Yeah. She's just sleeping. Say goodbye, Hajime. It's your bedtime." 

Hajime kissed his mother's forehead, pushing past his father, who had his face hidden behind his hands, and whispered, "Goodnight, mother. Feel better." Her skin felt cold beneath his lips, and deep down, he knew she wasn't sleeping.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Nineteen year old Iwaizumi fastened his necklace around his neck, running his fingers across the ring, before hiding it under his shirt. He had worn the necklace every day, without fail, since the day his mother had given it to him. Whenever he would feel stressed out or upset, he always ran his fingers across the tiny diamonds, and he would be filled with a sense of comfort. 

"Hajime." Hajime jumped when he heard his name, and turned around to see Hanamaki's smiling face. Although Hanamaki's appearance was pretty much the exact same as it had always been (he was immortal after all), Iwaizumi had grown to appreciate it more, as he matured. He would've been attracted to him if it weren't for the fact that Hanamaki was practically his older brother. 

"Yeah, Makki?" 

"Your father would like to speak to you," Hanamaki said, "He said it's important."

"Oh boy. What is it this time?" 

Hanamaki shrugged, "Uhh, I honestly don't know. I'm just the messenger boy."

"Alright, then," Hajime said, walking over to the door, patting Makki's shoulder on the way out. "Thanks, Makki. You're great."

"Oh, Hajime, I'm swooning," Hanamaki said dramatically, one of his signature smirks on his face. 

Hajime shook his head, a soft grin on his face, "Shut up, Makki." He walked into the living room, where his dad was sorting various pocket watches on the table. 

His dad looked up when he heard him approaching, and he smiled, "Hey, buddy. Long time, no see."

Hajime raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah. You've been gone for like four months."

His dad sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "I know, I know. But, about that..." He paused for a moment, then stated, "I got married."

"What??" Hajime yelled in disbelief. How could his father marry someone without telling him??

"I know, I know, but she has money, Hajime. And she's very fond of my title."

"But-"

"It was either get married or sell the house. You know that a watch salesman doesn't make much. And there aren't many other jobs available."

"But still..."

"You'll adore Sugawara-san and her two sons! They're your age, you know," His father stood up, placing his hand on Hajime's shoulder affectionately, "She'll make a wonderful mother." He paused at the look that Hajime gave him, then corrected himself, "Well, mother like figure. Look, I'm sure you'll all become best friends. I really need this, Hajime. I hope you understand."

Hajime nodded, trying to hide the annoyance on his face, "I do."

His father smiled and pulled Hajime into a hug, "Thank you."

Hajime half returned the hug. He didn't want to disappoint his father, so if that meant having three more people in the family, so be it. After all, how bad could they be?

 

Pretty damn bad, apparently.

Sugawara Kagura stepped out of her carriage, her expensive silver heels immediately landing in a pile of mud. She looked down in horror at her ruined shoes, then back at the man driving the carriage, "Is this the right address?? There must be some mistake!!" Just as she said that, the front door to the house swung open and her new husband, Atari, stepped out, followed by a handsome young man.

"My dear, welcome!" Atari exclaimed, kissing her on both cheeks. Once he pulled away, he looked over at her two sons, "And these must be your sons!"

She gave a strained smile as she introduced her children, "Yes, this is my precious Koushi," She said, gesturing to a tall young man with silver hair and a beauty mark on his chin. "And this, is my...special Kozume..." She pointed to the other man, who had bleached blond hair that definitely needed a touch up, "He's adopted, so don't mind him." She turned to Hajime, smiling, "And you must be...Hitori...?"

"Hajime. Pleased to meet you," Hajime replied, bowing.

"Ah, yes. I as well," She glanced at the small house, and her lip turned up slightly in disgust. "The house looks...delightful."

"Yes, this house has been in my family for many generations," Atari replied.

"Charming," She muttered, "But l do seem to remember that at the noblemen's convention, you said that you lived in a castle."

He chuckled and shook his head, "No, l said a man's home is his castle. Now, Koushi and Kozume, you will be staying in the empty room next to Hajime's. Hajime, show them, won't you?"

Hajime felt a zing, and his legs started moving into the house. Koushi raised an eyebrow, then he and Kozume followed behind, carrying their suitcases. Koushi made a face when he saw the room. "Oh dear. This is...interesting," He said, looking around, not even trying to hide the disgust on his face. "Well...I guess it'll do for now." He tossed his suitcases onto his bed, and Kozume quietly went over to the other bed and sat on it, immediately pulling out a book, ignoring the other two.

"I know it's probably not what you're used to," Hajime said, trying not to let his annoyance show in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Apology accepted, or whatever," Koushi grumbled, going over to one of his suitcases. He dug through it a bit, then muttered a quiet, "Aha!", before pulling out a few posters. He began sticking them to the wall, and Hajime narrowed his eyes at him.

"Um, what's with the prince pinups?" Hajime asked, raising an eyebrow in either disgust or confusion. Probably both.

"Oh? He's my future husband," Koushi grinned, lightly running his fingers over the Prince's printed face.

"Uh, what?"

"He's president of the Prince Tooru fan club," Kozume muttered from his spot on the bed, surprising Hajime. Those were the first words he had spoken since he got there.

"Uh, okay? You do know Oikawa and his uncle are responsible for the segregation of the kingdom, right?" Hajime said, putting his hand on his hip. His college thesis the previous year had been on the segregation of non-human creatures throughout the kingdom, so he had definitely done his research on the subject. 

Koushi looked at him in disgust, "So? He's dreamy."

Hajime rolled his eyes, but dropped the subject. He walked over to the small closet in the room, and opened the door, forcing a smile on his face, "This, is the closet, and the restroom is down the hall. Last door on the r-"

"Is this hutch meant to be a closet?" Koushi interrupted, gasping dramatically.

Hajime grit his teeth, "Well, yes-"

"It's pathetic! My clothes need more room than this!" Koushi exclaimed, whipping around to face Hajime, "I'll just have to use yours."

"Wha...?" Hajime asked, bewildered, "No, no, no. This closet is just fi-"

"Show it to me," Koushi demanded, and Hajime immediately felt a zing, and before he knew it, he was walking towards his room. Koushi was stunned for a moment, but followed after him quickly. "Oh, um..." He stopped once he got into the room, looking around. "It's so...quaint. Where are all your things?"

Hajime shrugged, "I don't have many."

"Cool, then I can use your closet!" Koushi said, striding over to the closet, and swung the doors wide open. "Oh dear. There's not enough room in here either. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to throw out some of your clothes."

"What??!? No!! Get away from there!!" Hajime yelled, ready to push the boy out of the way. Screw "welcoming them".

"You get away!" Koushi yelled back, and Hajime stopped, then took a step backwards. "Uh..." Koushi was taken aback, a startled look on his face, as he scanned Hajime from head to toe. His eyes landed on the silver ring around Hajime's neck, and he grinned, reaching out to touch it, "Ooh, I do like this. Very pretty."

Hajime quickly shoved the necklace into his shirt, "Please don't touch it. It was my mother's."

Koushi scoffed, "So? It can be a welcoming gift to me. After all, it's the least you could do for me."

Hajime shook his head, desperately hoping that what was to come next wouldn't happen.

"Oh, come on. Hand it over." Iwaizumi's hand reached up to the necklace and snapped it off, placing it in Koushi's extended hand. Koushi looked down at his hand, surprised, "Oh, um. Well, aren't you accommodating."

Hajime turned and ran from the room, tears brimming in his eyes.

•°•°•°•°•°•

"The second l sell the last of these, l'll be back. l promise," Atari said, snapping the clasp on his suitcase closed, "l know it's not a great job, not even a good job-" He looked over at Hajime and chuckled, "Okay, even a monkey could do it, but we need the money, Hajime."

"I understand."

"You'll behave, won't you?" He asked, kissing his son's forehead.

Hajime nodded, "Of course."

His father smiled, "Of course you will. You're a wonderful young man, Hajime. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

His father pulled him into a quick hug, then gave him a quick smile before he was out the door, headed off for who knew how long.

•°•°•°•°•°•

Hajime stood at the front of the class in front of a podium, Koushi on the other side of the platform in front of another podium, absentmindedly playing with Hajime's necklace. Hajime had spent endless hours preparing for this debate, and was somewhat happy when he got paired against Koushi, ready to put his stepbrother in his proper place.

"Elves, giants, ogres and humans used to exist in harmony, but when King Oikawa was killed, allegedly by an ogre, Sir Haruichi saw it as an opportunity to exile all nonhuman creatures to the forest, keeping their land for himself," Hajime said confidently, smiling smugly when he finished, looking at Koushi with a 'Ha. Beat that' look on his face.

"Passionately put, Hajime. Give yourself a pat on the back," His teacher said, and his hand flew up to his upper shoulder blade, patting against his back. His face turned red at the giggles that came from his classmates. He did feel a little better when he looked over at Akaashi to see him smiling gently at him and giving him a thumbs up. "Koushi? Your counterpoint?" The teacher asked, shushing the other students.

Koushi straitened his posture and gave Hajime a cocky smirk, "What my unworthy opponent fails to realize is Sir Haruichi has done a fantastic job! He has driven the ogres out, and he has put giants and elves to work as laborers and entertainers. Therefore, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have today's thriving free-enterprise system!"

"It's only free because we've enslaved the poor creatures and they work for nothing!" Hajime snapped back, "Haruichi is a monster, and l don't hold out much hope for his nephew, either."

There were gasps coming from a good portion of the class, and Koushi raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Well, that shows what you know, a.k.a nothing. Prince Tooru will be the greatest king ever. Right, girls?" He asked, turning to all the Prince Tooru fangirls in the room.

"Yeah," They all said in unison, glaring daggers at Hajime.

"l wonder if my opponent has based her opinion on the prince's politics or how cute he thinks his butt is," Hajime retorted, and Akaashi snorted, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter.

Koushi glared at him and sharply said, "Admit you're stupid and don't know what you're talking about."

"l'm stupid and l don't know what l'm talking about," Hajime said, then snapped his hand over his mouth, sending Koushi a dirty look.

The teacher raised an eyebrow, "Hajime?"

"Ah, sorry... Anyway, in conclusion-" Hajime started, but Koushi cut him off.

"Hold your tongue, Hajime," Koushi said, and next thing Hajime knew, his tongue was between his forefinger and his thumb.

"Hajime!" The teacher exclaimed.

Hajime frantically thought of things he could possibly say, and settled on, "My tongue itches." He cursed himself immediately after he said it.

"Right," The teacher said, unamused, "If you're not going to take this seriously, l declare Koushi the winner."

Hajime groaned as the rest of the class (except Akaashi) applauded. He glanced over at Koushi and grimaced when he saw the silver haired boy stick his tongue out.

•°•°•°•°•°•

Prince Oikawa Tooru peeked through the window of the carriage he was riding in and let out a dramatic sigh. "Uncle, do l have to go to this mall opening?" He groaned.

"As heir to the throne, it's your royal responsibility," Oikawa Haruichi, Tooru's uncle who had temporarily taken over the throne until Tooru was of age to run the kingdom, said, running his fingers across his long, golden staff, "You are a public figure, after all."

"Yes, but you're the one in charge," He huffed, "Why should I have to suffer through all the crazy fangirls? And I'm sure that one crazy boy with the silver hair is going to be there."

"Use it as a chance to get laid!" Haruichi replied, and Tooru glared at him, "I'm sure it's been a while, and it's not good to keep it all pent up."

"Uncle..."

"And anyways, I'm only in charge for a little while longer. Your coronation is next week. Might as well enjoy yourself for the time being. But, even if you don't want to sleep with anyone, you need to be out there with the people, Tooru."

A long python slithered up Haruichi's staff and hissed, "Yesss, shaking handss and kissing babiess."

"Exactly, Hebi. So the people can learn to trust us," Haruichi agreed.

Tooru raised an eyebrow, "What's not to trust?"

"Nothing," His uncle said a bit too quickly, then cleared his throat, "But, uh, while you've been away at school, Tooru, the kingdom has been under siege."

"What do you mean?" Tooru asked, sitting up straight.

"In your absence, the ogres have become impossible," He sighed dramatically.

"He'ss right," Hebi hissed, "Even the giantss have become more and more treacherouss."

"But the giants have always been peaceful," Tooru said, his face twisted in concern.

"The ogres were peaceful too, until they ripped your father to shreds," Haruichi said, and Tooru froze. "And l promised your father, should anything happen to him, l would take care of you and the kingdom. And, well, I've kept my promise, haven't l? Likewise, you must keep your promise to the people!"

Tooru nodded slowly, but didn't say anything else until they arrived at their destination.

When they pulled up, Haruichi took Tooru's face into his hands and forced the corners of his mouth up with his fingers, "Now, let's put on a smile. Remember, image is everything." 

Tooru chuckled and nodded, before stepping out of the carriage.

There were cheers and applause as Haruichi stepped onto the stage. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," He said, plastering a fake grin on his face, "lt's wonderful to be here in your charming town of...uh...hm...anyways, Prince Tooru and l-" He was cut off by the chanting of the big groups of teenage girls wearing all sorts of homemade Prince Tooru clothing items. 

"We want Tooru! We want Tooru! We want Tooru! We want Tooru! We want Tooru!"

Haruichi grit his teeth, trying to keep his cool, "Now it is my great pleasure to welcome my nephew, Prince Tooru!"

There were cheers and screams from the crowd, one of the loudest being Sugawara Koushi. Tooru took a deep breath and stepped on stage, giving his swoon-worthy smile, waving at the audience. The smile seemed to work, because a few girls in the audience fainted. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, two loud voices came from the crowd.

"Say no to ogrecide!"

"Stop the giant land grab!"

"Say no to ogrecide!" 

"Stop the giant land grab!"

"Say no to ogrecide!" 

"Stop the giant land grab!"

Tooru scanned the crowd to find the source, until his eyes finally landed on two young men standing on the fountain, each holding a sign with the things that they were reciting written in thick ink. One of the men was rather beautiful, he noted. He liked how his soft curls gently rested on his pale forehead and those droopy seductive eyes full of passion. Man, he really hadn't gotten laid in a while. He glanced over at the other man, but he barely got the chance to look at him, seeing as he had just been dragged away by the weird silver haired man who was at pretty much every public event he attended. He sighed as the pretty man followed behind. Shame. Oh well.

"Hajime! You are embarrassing us!" Koushi whisper-yelled, shoving him away from the crowd. Iwaizumi started to tell him off, but then Koushi sharply said, "Go home. Now."

Iwaizumi felt a zing and he cursed under his breath. His feet started moving him in the direction of his house, but he managed to say, "l have to go. l'm sorry," to Akaashi, who was standing off to the side, bewildered.

"Hajime, what? Why?" 

"I'm sorry, Keiji. I just, uh, I have homework," He lied. Akaashi tried to follow, but quickly lost him in the crowd of screaming girls.

"l love you, Prince Char!" One girl close to Akaashi screamed, and he winced, quickly hurrying away to somewhere quieter. 

As he turned a corner, he walked smack-dab into a broad chest. He stumbled backwards, but the stranger quickly caught him. "Woah! I'm sorry!" The man exclaimed. Akaashi looked up at the stranger, and the stranger's face immediately turned bright red. 

"O-oh, it's alright. I wasn't watching where I was going," Akaashi said, offering him a gentle smile. 

"Y-yeah me neither! What's, uh, what's your name?" 

"Akaashi. Akaashi Keiji. What's yours?"

"Bokuto Kotarou."

"Pleasure to meet you," Akaashi said, extending his arm to Bokuto, giggling as the other man's owl-like eyes lit up in excitement.

"Ah, yeah! Likewise! Nice to meet you, Akashi!" He said, shaking Akaashi's hand.

"Oh, uh, it's actually Akaashi, not Akash-" He winced again as a girl near him shrieked. 

Bokuto noticed his discomfort and offered his hand to Akaashi to hold, "You wanna go somewhere quieter?"

Akaashi smiled and Bokuto's heart skipped a beat, "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you." He took Bokuto's large hand into his slightly smaller one, and the two walked off in search of some quiet.

"Hey! Prince Tooru!!" A girl near the front of the stage yelled, "Are you a fast runner?"

Tooru shrugged, "I like to think so. Why?"

The girls all shared mischievous looks, then one girl screamed, "Get him!" And, just like that, the stage was being overtaken by hundreds of screaming teenage girls, pushing past the overwhelmed guards easily.

Tooru's eyes widened and he sprinted off the stage.

•°•°•°•°•°•

Hajime grumbled as he walked, cursing the curse. He wished he could at least tell his best friend about it, because Akaashi at least deserved that much for always being there for him. He knew Akaashi already had it hard enough, being from a far away country, and constantly being ridiculed for his slight accent and for "looking girly", which wasn't remotely close to being true. He knew from personal experience that Akaashi was just as much a man as he was, but that's a story for a different day. It wasn't Akaashi's fault that he was way more attractive than all of them combined.

Hajime was so deep in thought, that he didn't even notice someone running up to him, before the man tackled him to the ground, the two falling behind a large city limit sign.

"Ow!!" Hajime exclaimed, but the man put his hand over his mouth.

"Shush, shush, shush!" The man whispered, and Iwaizumi was about to bite his hand when he heard what sounded like a stampede coming towards them. 

Hundreds of screaming girls sprinted past their hiding place, none of them noticing the two figures behind the sign. Once they had all passed, Hajime did, in fact, bite the man's hand.

"Ow!!" The man exclaimed, pulling his hand back.

Hajime looked up and gasped when he saw who the man was. "Prince Oikawa!!"

Time seemed to stop for a moment for Tooru. The man in his lap was probably the hottest man he had ever seen (not including himself, of course). The man's hair looked like it would be spiky and rough, but it felt like silk against Tooru's arm. His eyes were like black holes that were trying to suck him into the abyss. And oh god, his arms. His arms looked like they had been sculpted by the gods, and he could only imagine what his abs would look like. Okay, he needed to stop before he got a hard-on.

"P-please, just call me Tooru," Tooru managed to say, clearing his throat, "Sorry about that. Occupational hazard." He stood up, then offered his hand to help Hajime up, "Allow me."

Hajime swatted his hand away. "l don't need your chivalry, thanks," He said sharply, standing up and brushing off his pants, "And l've no intention of bowing, either, so forget it." 

"You can bow or not. That's your choice. There's really nothing l can do about it," Oikawa shrugged, an amused smile on his face, "Except have you beheaded, but that seems a bit extreme."

"Charming. I'd honestly prefer that to having this conversation. Why don't you buzz off and do what your people usually do? Steal my land and destroy my livelihood. 'Kay, bye." He turned to leave.

"Wait a second," Hajime stopped and grit his teeth when Tooru called out the command. Then, "Come back here." Hajime turned around with a huff, hand on his hip.

"What."

"You were one of the protesters, weren't you? With your pretty friend?"

"We're done here," Hajime said sharply, then turned to leave again.

"Wait."

Hajime wanted to punch him in his perfect, handsome face. Then, he wanted to punch himself in the face for calling the prince's face "perfect" and "handsome".

"What's your name?"

Hajime pursed his lips for a moment before replying, "Iwaizumi. Hajime."

"Well, Iwaizumi Hajime, you're the first person I've spoken to in a while who hasn't swooned at the sight of me. With the exception of my uncle, of course."

Hajime turned around to face him, hand on his hip, "Then maybe I've done you some good."

Tooru huffed, "Look, l've never stolen anyone's land or livelihood. l want peace in the kingdom as much as anyone!"

"So you have a new plan once you take the crown?" Hajime asked, an unamused look on his face.

"Well..." Tooru tried thinking of something. Anything! But Hajime's sharp eyes were making him nervous in ways he couldn't explain. "Uhh, sort of. Of course, l couldn't reveal it to a subject." 'Wow. Okay. Smooth,' He thought, 'Way to embarrass yourself even more. And in front of a hottie like him.'

Iwaizumi laughed dryly and rolled his eyes, "That's what l thought. You're all just the same. You care more about your fan club and your next jousting tournament."

"No, actually, I've never been comfortable with the whole adoring fan club thing," Tooru replied, "Perhaps that's why l find your obvious disdain for me so refreshing."

"Obvious?" Hajime widened his eyes in fake shock, "And l was trying so hard to hide it." He put his hands in his pockets and froze when he didn't feel his wallet anywhere.

"What's wrong?"

"My wallet, it's-" He glanced back over in the direction of the sign that the prince had tackled him by, which they had wandered a ways away from during their conversation. He sighed, "It's back there."

"Wait right there. l will get it," Tooru said, and Iwaizumi felt his feet stick to the ground. In the middle of the street. Tooru was gone before Hajime could say anything. He sighed in defeat. It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't like anything bad could happen in the thirty seconds it would take Tooru to find his wallet, right? Wrong.

He tensed up when he heard the sound of horses in the near distance. He turned towards the sound and was horrified to see a horse drawn executioner's carriage coming towards him. Fast. He tried moving his feet, but to no avail. They were firmly planted in the ground. 

"Prince Oikawa!" He frantically yelled, "Prince Oikawa!" The carriage was just about to come over the bridge and he felt his heart sink, knowing it was the end. How ironic that it was an executioner's carriage that was going to end his life. Just as he was about to sigh in defeat and accept his fate, he was suddenly pushed out of the way and tackled to the ground, just barely in time.

"Are you crazy?? Why didn't you move??" Tooru shouted, breathing heavily.

Hajime's face turned red and he looked away, trying to come up with an excuse,  
"l would have...were it not for your apparent fascination with knocking me to the ground." He pushed Tooru off and stood up, "That's the second time today, you realize, right?"

Tooru stared at him in bewilderment, "Well, l'll try and be more considerate next time l'm saving you."

"Next time?" Hajime scoffed, "What makes you think we'll see each other again?"

"We will, won't we?" Tooru asked.

Hajime hesitated for a moment before bluntly replying, "No. No we won't."

Tooru chuckled, "Well, Iwaizumi Hajime. You are unlike anyone I've ever met."  
"You have no idea."

Tooru was about to say something, when he was cut off by a loud voice behind him yelling Hajime's name.

"Hajime, come here," Koushi said sharply, and Hajime felt a zing and quickly walked over to his step brother. "Shouldn't you be at home cleaning the fireplace, or something, huh?" He said, loud enough for Tooru to hear, then whispered, "Stop flirting with him. It's me he's going to have at his coronation."

Hajime rolled his eyes, "Yeah, in the middle of the table with an apple in your mouth."

Koushi made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, "Go back to the mall with Kozume."

Both Hajime and Kozume made an annoyed sound at that. "But, you said we were going home," Kozume complained. 

"Go. Now." Koushi hissed, and Kozume rolled his eyes before following Hajime away.

"Hajime-" Tooru started to follow him, but Koushi stepped in front of him.

"Don't bother with him," Koushi said, "He's such a drag. l'm the one you want. l know everything about you."

Tooru made a face, "Uh, is that so..."

"Yeah. I've got posters of you, and pictures. And when we used to live in Aoba Josai, l used to stand outside your castle and watch you turn your lights on and off."

Tooru honestly had no response to that, so he just stuttered, "U-uh, Tell Hajime I'll be in touch." He stumbled a bit before running away as fast as he could.

"Right," Koushi said, through gritted teeth, "I'll see to that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime starts out on his quest to find Nishinoya and have him reverse the spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement!

Kozume disappeared as soon as he and Hajime stepped foot into the mall. Hajime just let him go. He had the feeling that the poor kid was tormented just as much by Koushi as he was. So, he opted to go look for Akaashi, hoping his friend was still at the mall, so he could apologize.

He was about to go look for him in some sort of "magic potions shop" when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and winced when he saw the annoyed look on Akaashi's face.

"Where were you?" Akaashi asked, hand on his hip.

"I'm sorry, I just...something came up."

"You left me alone. In a mall. With a bunch of screaming teenage Prince Oikawa fangirls."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. And well, speaking of the Prince..." 

"What."

"I...met him..." Hajime said sheepishly.

"What?? You met the prince??" Akaashi asked, dumbfounded, "When? Why??"

Hajime sighed, "I don't wanna talk about it. Koushi was there."

Akaashi made a face, "Ugh, Koushi. Why do you always do what Koushi tells you to do?"

"I don't always do what he tells me to do!"

"Yes you do. There was that weird thing that happened at school, and you always leave me behind when Koushi calls you over!"

"No...I don't."

"Yes you do."

"I don't!"

Akaashi glared at him, "Tell the truth."

Hajime felt a zing and he sighed, "Oh, I do."

Akaashi scoffed, "Well, while you were out ditching me to meet the prince, I also met someone."

"Someone as in someone you're interested in?"

Akaashi nodded.

"Like romantically?"

Akaashi nodded again, his face turning red, "Yeah. So?"

"So, that's great!! What happened? Did you ask them out?"

"He...asked me to dinner tomorrow night," Akaashi replied, a gentle grin on his face.

"No way! That's amazing, Keiji!"

"Anyways, he-" Akaashi was cut off by Hajime ducking down behind a nearby sign. He stared at him for a moment before asking, "What the hell, Hajime?" 

Hajime pointed in front of him with one hand and put a finger over his mouth with the other. Akaashi looked up to see Hajime's step brother standing a few feet away, smirking at them, then looked back down at Hajime. "Really? You're hiding from him?"

"Hajime, come here," Koushi said, and Hajime groaned as he felt a zing.

Hajime stood up. "I have to go, I'll see you later, okay? I'll stop by your house tomorrow!" He said, before walking over to Koushi.

"What? Hajime, wait!" Akaashi started towards him, but Koushi stepped in front of him.

"I have to talk to him," Koushi said, smirking at him, "So, just go do whatever your people do."

Akaashi opened his mouth to protest, then decided against it. "Okay. I'll see you later, Hajime."

"What do you want?" Hajime asked, glaring at Koushi.

Koushi gave him a grin that sent shivers down his spine, "I need you to do me a little favor." He pointed to a small scented candle on the table next to them. "Take that."

Hajime felt a zing and he quickly grabbed it and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Koushi squealed in delight and pointed to a silver necklace on the next table over, "Take that." Hajime felt a zing and he walked over to the other table, snatching the necklace off of it, putting it in his pocket next to the candle. "Oh my god, you really do do everything you're told. This is fantastic!"

"Koushi, please stop," Hajime said, looking around nervously at the surrounding people, but Koushi ignored him.

"Take that potion bottle."

Hajime grabbed the potion bottle and shoved it into his pocket. "Okay!! Okay, that's enough," He said, through clenched teeth.

Koushi raised an eyebrow, "I think that's for me to say, Hajime. I need one more thing," He pointed to a pair of crystal shoes a few tables down, "Take those."

Hajime felt a zing, but tried his hardest to not follow the order, but, as usual, his body moved on it's own. "Please don't make me do this," Hajime begged.

Koushi pretended to think for a moment, "Well, since you said please...No. Take them."

Hajime started to reach for them, but used all his willpower to hesitate for a moment.

"Take them!" Koushi exclaimed, and Hajime snatched them off the table, then tried to fit the bulky shoes into his pocket, which caught the attention of the store keeper.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing??"

"Run!" Koushi yelled, and Hajime took off running, Koushi staying behind, a wide grin on his face as he watched the store owner chase his stepbrother.

"Stop that boy!" The store owner shouted at a group of security guards, and Koushi burst out laughing as the three guards joined in the chase.

As Hajime ran past a sandwich shop, a young worker holding a tray of sandwiches, yelled, "Buy a squirrel sandwich! Get 'em while they're hot!" Hajime felt a zing at the command and he immediately pulled out his wallet, grabbing a few slips of money and practically threw them at her, grabbing one of the sandwiches.

"Here. Keep the change," He said quickly, and kept running, pushing through the crowds of people, "Excuse me, sorry, coming through." 

"Try our new perfume!" A peppy saleswoman shouted, and Hajime felt another zing, groaning as his body walked over to the lady. He grabbed the perfume, then sprayed it on himself, receiving a stunned look from the lady.

"Wow, thanks," Hajime said, shoving both the perfume bottle and the sandwich into her hands.

"Get out of the way!" Hajime heard the guards shout, and he sped up, looking over his shoulder. He looked ahead, just in time to see two men pushing a barrel of wine right towards him. He jumped, just as one of the guards yelled, "Freeze!" And he froze in midair, something he didn't know was possible.

The guards and bystanders all stared in bewilderment at the floating boy, all unsure what to do. One guard stepped forward cautiously and slowly said, "Uh...put your hands together."

Hajime did just that, unfreezing him and sending him crashing into the barrel of wine.

"You're under arrest," The guard said, slapping handcuffs on the soaked boy. 

Hajime grit his teeth as he glared at his step brother, who was laughing his ass off.

•°•°•°•°•°•

"A felon in my own family! l could die from embarrassment," Sugawara Kagura groaned, dramatically putting her hand over her forehead.

"Promises, promises," Makki muttered under his breath.

"You," She pointed sharply at Hajime, "Are a disgrace." 

Makki stepped in front of Hajime, "Maybe he was put up to it." He pointedly looked over at Koushi.

Koushi sighed, shaking his head, "Takahiro's right, Mother. I was there. It really wasn't poor Hajime's fault at all. He was forced to do it."

Makki narrowed his eyes at the silver haired boy.

Kagura raised an eyebrow, "Is that so...Hajime, who put you up to it?"

Koushi leaned over to Hajime and whispered, "Tell her it was Akaashi."

"Ak-" Hajime started, but quickly slapped his hand over his mouth.

"l'm waiting. Tell me."

"Akaashi."

"Wait, Hajime-" Makki started, but was cut off by Kagura.

"Akaashi! l might have guessed it," She exclaimed, "You can never trust those foreigners. You are forbidden ever to see him again."

"What??" Hajime exclaimed, "No, please, no."

At that moment there was a knock at the door. They all stopped talking for a second and Akaashi's voice called out, "Hajime? Are you home?"

Kagura scoffed, "How dare he come here now?" She turned sharply back to Hajime, "Answer the door and tell him that you never want to see him again."

Hajime felt a zing and started to move towards the door, "Wait, no, please."

"And tell him that you could never be friends with a Furokudonian," Koushi chimed in, cackling.

"Sugawara-san, there must be some mistake," Makki said, grabbing Hajime's arm to stop him. 

"Please, Sugawara-san," Hajime plead.

"Don't argue. Just do it," She said sharply, and Hajime removed his arm from Makki's grasp, tears brimming his eyes.

"Mother, don't you think you're going too far?" Kozume asked quietly.

Kagura turned to him and slapped him across the face, startling the other three people in the room, even Koushi, "How dare you talk back to me like that, Kozume. Go to your room." 

Kozume hurried away, holding his throbbing cheek, and Kagura turned back to Hajime. "Well? Do it. Now."

Hajime walked the rest of the way over to the door and swung it open, his heart dropping at the sight of his friend. He had hoped that Akaashi would've left if he had stalled to answer the door.

"Thank goodness you're all right. I heard about what happened at the mall," Akaashi said, a soft smile on his face, which quickly disappeared when he saw Hajime's expression, "What's wrong?"

"l never wanna see you again," Hajime choked out, a tear escaping from his eye.

Akaashi rolled his eyes, "Ha-ha. Very funny." 

Hajime bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop himself from saying the next sentence.

"l don't understand. We're best friends," Akaashi said quietly, "Aren't we?"

"I...l could never be friends with a Furokudonian," Hajime whispered, avoiding looking at the hurt look on his best friend's face, "Please just go." He shut the door before Akaashi could say anything else.

•°•°•°•°•°•

Akaashi wasn't sure where he was or where he was going. It was like everything had just gone blank for a while as he was trying to process what his best friend had said to him. Hajime had never said those kinds of things to him before, and he was the only person who had stood by his side while other people called him distasteful names. 

There were tears streaming down his cheeks and his nose was running. He tried to wipe his tears away on his sleeve, but it didn't make much of a difference.

He sniffled, then settled for sitting on a nearby boulder while he collected his thoughts, tucking his knees up and resting his forehead on them. He had a feeling that Koushi was behind all of it somehow. He always was. Ever since Koushi had arrived, Hajime had started acting very strange, and Akaashi didn't like it.

"Akashi?"

Akaashi started, quickly looking up, only to lock eyes with the man he had met before at the mall. He quickly tried to dry his eyes on his sleeve, as he stood up. "A-ah, Bokuto-san. What are you doing here?"

Bokuto cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean? I live over there," He pointed to a small house in the distance, "What are you doing out here? And why are you crying?"

"Ah, no. It's nothing, really. It's just...my friend..." Akaashi trailed off, looking off to the side.

"Do you need me to beat him up? Because I will."

Akaashi chuckled, "No thank you."

Bokuto huffed, "Are you sure? Cause don't like seeing you sad."

"I'm alright, really."

Bokuto pursed his lips for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Aha I know! How about we reschedule our first date to right now and our second date can be on Saturday!"

Akaashi looked startled for a moment before laughing softly, "Sure. I'd like that."

•°•°•°•°•°•

Hajime sat on Makki's bed, his head buried in the fairy's shoulder. "I've done terrible things before, Makki," Hajime sobbed, "But this is the worst thing the curse has ever made me do." 

Makki's heart clenched and he wished he had the ability to use commands on Hajime, so he could counteract any bad command Hajime received, but he couldn't. The spell on Hajime was specifically created to block any fairies from giving him commands. He squeezed Hajime tightly and ran his fingers through his hair. 

After a few minutes, Hajime pulled away, "I've gotta do it. I have got to find Nishinoya and get him to take back the curse."

"You're right," Makki said, then paused for a moment, thinking, "I, uh, have something to show you...I should have told you about this years ago, but l was a little embarrassed." 

"Embarrassed? Why?" Hajime asked, and Makki sighed.

"Well, as you know, l'm not the most talented fairy," Makki said, reaching under his pillow, "Anyway, this book... is my boyfriend, Matsukawa Issei." Makki held up a thick book, and a handsome man's face appeared on it. "He's gonna help you find him."

"Hey," Matsukawa said, grinning, "Pleased to meet you. Well, pleased to meet anyone, quite frankly. You're the first introduction I've had in 20 years."

Hajime stared at the book, jaw dropped, "I...I've never seen anything like this."

"I know. No one has. And l don't want them to, 'cause then they might take him away," Makki huffed, "It was an accident. I was just trying a spell to trim his hair, and it went a little...askew."

"l would have left this idiot ages ago, except I love him so darn much," Matsukawa said, smiling up at Makki, "Well, that and I have no legs."

"I love you, too, you piece of garbage," Makki cooed.

"Not as much as I love you, you little bitch."

"I love you more, dickhead," Makki said, and they both started laughing, but an air of sadness surrounded the two as they looked longingly at each other.

"Um, okay...Lots of love. I think... Uh, moving on," Hajime said awkwardly, breaking the two out of their "lovers bubble".

Makki cleared his throat, "Oh, well, I want you to take him with you."

"You mean I'm getting out of here? There are so many places in my pages I've been wanting to visit," Matsukawa said, his cover opening, and flipping through pages of pictures, "No offence, babe, but being underneath your pillow kinda sucks."

"None taken."

"Wow. What is all this?" Hajime asked, gently flipping through the pages, "This is amazing."

"See, Hiro? This kid knows how to gently handle my pages," Matsukawa teased.

Makki smirked and rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, you know you like it rough."

"Can't deny that. When I get out of here, I'll show you just how-"

"Okay!! Jesus, Makki! Why are you like this?" Hajime exclaimed, his face turning red.

Makki and Matsukawa both laughed. "Sorry, sorry," Makki said, not sorry at all, "Well, he knows everything, so he'll be a huge help." 

"Thanks, babe, but not everything," Matsukawa said, "If l did, I'd be a lot thicker."

"Ooh, kinky."

"Shut up, Makki."

"Can you show me anything about Nishinoya?" Hajime asked, ignoring Makki.

"Can I show you anything about Nishinoya?" Matsukawa asked, bemused.

"Watch this," Makki said, holding the book, so he was face to face with his boyfriend, "Show me Nishinoya." He opened the book to show a moving picture of Nishinoya, "Ta-da!"

Hajime stared at it, amazed, "Cool trick," He leaned in closer to the book to examine the picture, "Now, which Crockery Barn? They're all over the kingdom."

"Ah," Makki said sheepishly, "That's the glitch. He can't tell you where a person is. He can just show you pictures. Like a crystal ball or a magic mirror."

"Everything is so huge..." Hajime noted, then pointed to a book in the corner, "Is that a wedding registry?"

Makki looked at it closer, then gasped, "Duh! They're in Giantville! Look, she's going to a wedding in Giantville."

"Well, Matsukawa, I guess we're going to Giantville."

"Oh! How exciting!! I've always wanted to go there someday!!" Matsukawa said excitedly.

Makki smiled at him and pressed his forehead against the book cover, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Makki moved over to Hajime and kissed his forehead, "And you. You be careful, you hear me?"

Hajime smiled and nodded.

"Good. Now, go find that fairy."

Hajime hugged Makki tightly one last time before throwing on his cloak and tucking Matsukawa under his arm. 

Just as he was about to head out the door, Hajime heard Kagura's shrill voice call out, "Hajime, l need a bouquet for my portrait sitting tomorrow. Go and pick some."

Hajime groaned as he trudged into the garden, but along the way, he saw a cluster of poison ivy and stopped in his tracks, a smirk growing on his face. 

 

So, as his stepmother scratched her newly found itches,   
Hajime was off, glad to be rid of the b... witches. 

 

•°•°•°•°•°•

"Matsukawa, can you show me a map of the Forest of Nekoma?" Hajime asked as he walked through the forest.

"Of course," Matsukawa said, and Hajime opened his book, a 3D map appearing on his pages.

"Whoa," Hajime said, and Matsukawa smirked cockily, "Hmm, according to this map, if we head due east towards Karasuno, we can cut half a day off our journey." A yelp came from a little ways ahead of them, startling him, "What was that?"

"Probably something that wants to eat us."

"Ouch!" A voice yelled, "Somebody help me!" 

After that came obnoxious laughs from what sounded like three men. 

Hajime stomped towards the noise, scowling, while Matsukawa protested, listing off all of the ways it could go wrong. When he found the source of the noise, he was horrified to see a little red headed elf tied to a spinning board, while one man spun it, and the other two egged him on.

"Sing soprano, little man!" One of the thugs yelled.

The other man threw a dagger at the elf, which just barely missed his crotch, "Ah, man. Missed!"

"What do you think you're doing to that poor elf?" Hajime barked, and all three men turned to stare at him.

One of the men stepped forward, grinning sinisterly, "Who's this who thinks he's so tough?"

Hajime gulped nervously, but stood his ground, "Look, I think it's only fair to warn you that I'm practiced in the ancient art... of origami."

One man raised his eyebrow, "Uhh...Paper folding?"

Hajime bit his lip, and shuffled awkwardly, taking a step back, "I was hoping you wouldn't know what that was."

"Don't let him scare you, sweetheart!" The elf shouted, "Kick his butt!"

Hajime felt a zing, and his leg swung out and connected with the man's butt. The three men stood in stunned silence for a couple seconds before one of the men growled, "You little bastard." And lunged for Hajime.

"Don't let him get you!" The elf yelled, and Hajime dodged the attack, "Perfect! Now rabbit punch him," Hajime had no idea what a rabbit punch was, but apparently his body did at the order, his fists making contact with the second guy who came at him, "Combo. Kneel. Front-step kick. Dragon-roundhouse kick." Hajime's body did all those things, and, although he felt dizzy, he also felt pretty cool.

"This dude is nuts!" One of them said, pressing a hand over his black eye, "Let's get outta here." And with that, the three men scurried away.

"l think l'm gonna puke..." The elf groaned, his earlier excitement at the fight gone.

"Oh! Let me help you with that," Hajime said, hurrying over to help him. 

"I am gonna need so much therapy after this," He muttered, as Hajime went to work at untying the ropes around his wrists and ankles.

When all the roped were untied, the elf came crashing onto the ground. "Oh my god, are you okay??" Hajime asked, crouching down next to him.

"No, I am not okay! I think I broke something, or dislocated it, or..." He tilted his head to the side, cracking it, and he sighed in relief, "Nope, just a crick." He turned to Hajime and extended his hand, "Yaku Morisuke."

Hajime took his hand and shook it, "Iwaizumi Hajime. Nice to meet you." He stood up straight, brushing off his pants, then walked over to the place where he had dropped Matsukawa and picked the book up. "Well, if you're okay, then I have to be going, but good luck."

"You're going?" Yaku asked, "You can't walk in this wood on your own. Look where it got me! How about a bite to eat?"

"That's very sweet, but I'm on a tight schedule," Hajime said.

"Fine. Message received, Mister ''I Think I'm All That'', Yaku huffed.

"That's not what I meant at all!"

"I extend the hand of friendship..."

"I am on a tight schedule. Were I not..."

"Everybody's busy..."

"...I would love to have dinner with you, bu-"

"Great!" Yaku said, grinning, "I've got a coupon."


End file.
